Kula Gold kicks off low-cost niobium exploration in Malawi
The company is aiming for a low-cost, high-impact campaign focusing on niobium and tantalum mineralisation hosted in near-surface pyrochlore mineralisation within a nepheline syenite intrusive stock.
Pyrochlore, which is found in alkaline igneous rocks as well as granitic pegmatites and greisens, is known for its resistance to weathering and is often found in alluvial deposits.
Kula's exploration campaign will include field mapping as well as rock chip and soil sampling to outline the project's large-scale potential, paving the way for a maiden drilling program in the December quarter.
While the Wozi niobium project will advance Kula's critical minerals strategy, the company's Mt Palmer gold project remains its flagship asset.
The Wozi project lies within the Mozambique orogenic belt of the extensive Malawi rift valley system and targets a nepheline syenite stock intruded into Precambrian metasedimentary rocks, primarily a hornblende-biotite-garnet gneiss.
Historical trenching by Mantra Resources Limited in 2007–2008 revealed significant niobium mineralisation, with results including 145 metres assaying 0.55 per cent niobium pentoxide and 119 parts per million tantalum pentoxide as well as 41m at 0.54 per cent niobium pentoxide and 122ppm tantalum pentoxide in one trenched area.
A second trench by Mantra identified 192m at 0.49 per cent niobium pentoxide and 158ppm tantalum pentoxide.
Those wide zones, particularly at the company's 800m x 300m Anomaly C area, remain open and untested by drilling, offering prime targets for potential large-tonnage niobium resources.
Kula's current program will resample old trenches to validate results under more modern 2012 JORC standards. While Kula considers the historical data to be reliable, the company has not independently verified it.
Kula's recently acquired exploration licence positions the company to capitalise on the project's strategic location and infrastructure.
Malawi is a nation with a stable B credit rating and several established mining operations. The Wozi project is 2 kilometres from the country's M1 highway and has easy access to the capital, Lilongwe, and the Nacala rail corridor, facilitating cost-effective logistics and potential export routes via the Indian Ocean.
The absence of historical drilling underscores the project's untapped potential, with the core niobium anomaly remaining open to the north and across strike.
Kula is also evaluating additional tenure to expand the project's footprint. This maiden field program marks a critical step towards defining a maiden resource for niobium and tantalum, which are both key minerals used in e-technology and renewable energy applications.
The company is planning an initial low-cost exploration strategy that can leverage the near-surface mineralisation and historical data to fast-track early progress.
Kula expects to complete its ground-truthing results, undertake further sampling and finalise its drilling plans in the coming quarters, while building its focus on environmental matters and community engagement in Malawi.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
matt.birney@wanews.com.au
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